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Every week, fresh mock drafts emerge, and analysts consistently project quarterback Drew Mestemaker to land with the Miami Dolphins using one of their top selections. However, after witnessing the Dolphins' performance at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, one might question whether quarterback is truly a pressing need. Granted, it was just a single game and the first time all season that Malik Willis truly excelled, but the first-year Dolphins starter delivered a remarkable showing in a 28-25 victory over the New York Jets.
How impressive was it? According to ESPN, it ranked among the best performances of the entire season. ESPN's quarterback rating system (QBR) awarded Willis a 99.5 for Week 7, tying the highest single-game score of the year. The only other quarterback to achieve a 99.5 was Brock Purdy, who did so against the Dolphins at Levi's Stadium in Week 2.
QBR differs from the more commonly referenced passer rating by incorporating factors beyond the simple outcome of a play, though it does include some subjective elements. In truth, QBR is preferable because it accounts for rushing contributions and penalizes quarterbacks for taking sacks, whereas passer rating focuses solely on passing and ignores external factors like time to throw, catch difficulty, or yards after catch that can influence a successful pass play.
Willis' 99.5 stands as the highest QBR ever recorded by a Dolphins quarterback since the metric began tracking in 2006. The previous best was a 99.2 by Ryan Fitzpatrick in a 43-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers early in the 2020 season. For context, Tua Tagovailoa's highest single-game QBR was 95.1 against the Cleveland Browns in 2022, and he posted a 90.2 in the historic 70-20 rout of the Denver Broncos in the 2023 home opener.
On the season, Willis holds a QBR of 63.7, ranking 15th in the NFL—trailing Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers and leading Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions and Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers. As noted, QBR involves some subjectivity, so not everyone would evaluate Willis' performance identically. For instance, Pro Football Focus assigned Willis a grade of 77.3 for his outing against the Jets, significantly lower than Joe Burrow's 93.7 against the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow ranked third in QBR for Week 7 at 91.5, behind Willis and Seattle's Sam Darnold. For the season, PFF ranks Willis 33rd among 36 qualifying quarterbacks, ahead of only Bo Nix, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie free agent Jalon Daniels, and Justin Herbert.
The key takeaway is that one game should not lead to overreaction, but it did reinforce coach Jeff Hafley's confidence in Willis' ability to be a full-time starting quarterback. This comes after Willis made some revealing comments to CBS during production meetings ahead of the Jets telecast—remarks that preceded his breakout performance.
Quieting the Draft Chatter
Does that sound like a coach eager to bring in a new quarterback? The decline of the once-touted QB Class of 2027 was always going to influence the Dolphins' decision not to force a quarterback selection with their first pick next spring. Additionally, there is the ongoing need to build up the supporting cast on both offense and defense before introducing a young player at the position—if the Dolphins ultimately decide that is the route to take.
The reality is that the Dolphins can achieve success with performances like the one Willis delivered on Sunday. The challenge, of course, is consistency, but for at least one game he demonstrated his potential, and that is more than enough for Miami to win plenty of games and contend for the playoffs. Ultimately, that is the goal at quarterback for the Dolphins, and Willis more than rose to the occasion against the Jets. He was not merely good enough—he was about as good as it gets, at least from ESPN's perspective.